After posting photos of the new baby, the actor shared a picture of the newborn's placenta in a mixing bowl.

Van Der Beek's followers applauded his candidness and support of home births.

Some people leave the placenta attached to their baby so extra blood can be transmitted and increase iron levels. Others opt to eat the placenta.

James Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly welcomed their fifth child this past weekend. After sharing some adorable photos of the newborn, who was delivered via a home birth, the "Dawson's Creek" star shared a photo of a mixing bowl filled with his daughter's placenta.

In all fairness, Van Der Beek did warn his followers by opening the caption with, "word of caution, if you're squeamish, just double-tap and move on."

Though some followers were grossed out by the image, the majority of Van Der Beek's followers thanked him for normalizing home births and being candid on his account.

"What a beautiful photo,"user dawn.rossiter.dr wrote. "My home birth is one of the most precious moments of my life thank you for bringing awareness to something so right and so normal as birthing at home especially from a father's perspective. Congratulations to your family on the new addition."

User emileejames wrote, "I could tell by your first picture of baby that you guys must have had a homebirth. So amazing! I had my 3 little ones at home too- one even weighing over 10 lbs. All healthy kiddos, and amazing birth stories. Thank you for being open and willing to teach in a non-judgmental way!"

"Congrats!! Awesome pic! just had our baby girl at home on Thursday night about the same bowl was used for the same purpose lol," user mggstr commented.

User 4littlebirds_ wrote, "Homebirth for the win!! There is something so incredible about older siblings being included in the birth or even just after. It creates a special bond. Congratulations to you and @vanderkimberly!"

"Btw I always use a metal mixing bowl" atlantamidwife wrote. "It floats well in waterbirth and sterilizes well. Congratulations to this smart family for taling control of their own birth and creating positive memories. Thank you for posting about your birth as the norm. #AtlantaMidwife#keepingbirthreal"

There are several reasons parents may choose to keep the placenta after childbirth.

The first is delayed umbilical cord clamping — or not cutting the cord right away. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggest waiting about a minute after the baby is born to cut the cord to allow enough blood to reach the baby. According to ACOG, the more blood that reaches the baby, the higher their hemoglobin levels — the protein responsible for giving the red blood cells oxygen — and the higher their iron levels will be in their first couple of months. This is especially beneficial for pre-term babies, hence why some parents may wait on cutting the cord.

Others may keep the placenta around to eat it. CNN reports that some believe this provides benefits for the mother like increased breast milk production, replenished nutrients and a lower chance of postpartum depression. There are a host of ways to indulge in placentas: raw, steamed, dehydrated, in a smoothie, the list goes on.